sm AO logo

Annandale History Timeline

1850s - 1870s

1858 Minnesota became a state

1860s settlers built Ft. Harrison (Ft Skedaddle) on SE shore of Pleasant Lk for protection against Indians

1862 Sioux (Dakota) conflict

1864 The city's name was change from Abbyville to Annandale

1869 first school erected by settlers, a log structure

1870s Grasshoppers decimated crop, many settlers moved away

1872 St. Mark's Episcopal Church was built by Clearwater Lake

1873 St. Ignatius Catholic Church was organized with masses held at the French Lake parish


1880s

1886 Railroad came through Annandale

1886 Annandale Post first published, later renamed Annandale Advocate, at 73 Oak St S since 1933

1886 town platted by James Platt

1887 Post Office opened, moved to 83 Oak Av N in 1963

1887 Buri Hardware, first store in Annandale, built at SE corner of Oak and Chestnut

1888 Two story school built on Cedar Ave, used as City Hall 1923-2001, razed in 2001

1888 Annandale incorporated with 187 citizens an John Buri as the first mayor.

1889 first July 4th parade

1888 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church erected in Corinna Township, building moved to Annandale in 1948

1889 Methodist Church built at SW corner of Oak and Park, 250 Oak Av N, replaced with red brick building in 1902


1890s      1890 Annandale population: 211

1890 St. John's Lutheran Church built on Harrison St W, replaced in 1960 and 2002

1890-1952 Dr. Alfred Ridgway served Annandale patients from office on Oak Ave.

1893 State Bank of Annandale  (current Advocate office) built at 73 Oak Av S

1894 Advent Christian Church built at 110 Cedar St W, building used 1947-1988 by Annandale Evangelical Free Church, Camelot Apartments since 1990s

1895 Thayer Hotel built 

1896 Buzzell Post 24 G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) formed in Fair Haven 1883, moved to Annandale in 1896 

1897 Buri Hardware built at SE corner of Chestnut and Oak, later housed Peterson's Variety late 1930s-50s, Dayton's Furniture 1954-1997, and Grandpa Earl's since 2003.

1898 Annandale Improvement Club formed


1900s      1900 Annandale population: 481

early 1900s 24-hr electricity in town. 1906, franchise granted to Annandale Electric Company by City Council.

early 1900s gas street lights added

1902 South Haven Bandit Raid 

1903 City Park Pavilion built

1906, 1910, and 1911 fires in South Haven

1906-2006 Brown's Ice Cream at 110 Excelsior Av S

1907 first Annandale High School graduation class, 5 students

1908 Lantto's Store opened at Cty Rd 37 and Cty Rd 3


1910s      1910 Annandale population: 624

1906, 1910, and 1911 fires in South Haven

1911 rural school dragged across ice to become village school, building used as library 1923-2003, Snooty Fox 2004-2013, Cafe Jules 2014-2021, In Hot Water since 2021

1919 Grain Elevator built, demolished in 2000

1914 Annandale Village voted dry

1915 Grand Theater opened at 38 N Oak, later Dale Theater until 1976.

1916-1967 Prahl's Drug Store at 52 N Oak 

1916-1932 Pickle Factory at site of current Holiday Station on Hwy 55

1917 Lundeen car repair opened at NE corner of Oak and Elm, Ford Franchise in 1920, Lundeen Ford moved to 870 Elm St E (Hwy 55) in 1977

1919 Annandale American Legion Post 176 Charter was granted 

1919 Grain Elevator built, demolished in 2000

1919 Annandale residents voted 92-55 to put in water and sewer


1920s      1920 Annandale population: 644

1920 State Bank of Annandale building built at 63 Oak Av S, used as law office since 1972

1922  three story high school erected on Cherry St., razed in 2015

1922 Soo Line Train Wreck, 10 died, 32 injured

1922 Brose's Barber Shop opened at 20 Oak Av S, moved to 26 N Oak in 1963

1923 Building built at SW corner of Oak and Chestnut by Citizens State Bank, housed Annandale State Bank 1933-1980, Zahler Photography 1988-2018, State Farm since 2018

1923 School Building sold to Village for library, jail, and restrooms

1928-1993 Logeais Oil (Shell Oil) building erected at 50 Elm St E (was Hwy 69 then), currenly is CentraSota Cenex

1929-1960 Dunton Funeral opened at 63 Oak Av S, building is law office since 1972 

1929-1993 Annandale Co-op Creamery at 110 Cedar St W

1938  Hwy 69 was relocated and renamed Hwy 55


1930s      1930 Annandale population: 663

1930s Annandale Conservation Club 

1930-1982 Dr. Lester Bendix served Annandale patients, 52 Oak Av N

1932-1979 Gloege Bakery at Oak and Cedar (current Clock Tower Park site), moved to 32 S Oak in 1957 

1933 Annandale State Bank opened at Oak and Chestnut, now State Farm Insurance

1934-1973 Bahr Bus Service opened

1935 Lampi Auctioneers began


1940s      1940 Annandale population: 755

1940-1965 Thayer Department Store at 10 Oak Ave N, now Annandale Art and Textile Center

1940 Armistice Day Blizzard  

1944-1988 Elwyn's Photography  

1946-1976 Dale Theater at 38 Oak Ave, now Annandale Embroidery

1946 Lakedale Telephone began at 46 N Oak, moved to 60 N Maple in 1965, moved to 9938 Elm (Hwy 55) in 1983

1946-1980 Geardink’s Resort 

1946 Annandale Co-op Creamery locker plant built at 131 Cedar St.W, used by Petty Brothers Meats 1980-2016

1947 1st Miss Annandale, Ruth Tausta, was crowned

1947-67  Candy Castle at 86 N Oak, now part of Miller's Jewelry

1948 Zion Lutheran Church building moved from Corinna Twp to town at 340 Chestnut St E, replaced in 1958 by brick church at 360 Chestnut St E

1949 Miller's Jewelry began at 86 N Oak Av


1950s      1950 Annandale population: 899

1950-1997 Dayton's Furniture opened on Hwy 55, moved to Buri Hardware building at Oak and Chestnut in 1952, now is Grandpa Earl's

1954 addition on 1922 school building 

1955 City Hall at 83 N Oak was removed, sold for new Post Office in 1963

1956 Annandale Royalty Program began 

1957-79 Gloege Bakery at 32 Oak Ave S, now Pro Nails

1958 Zion Lutheran Church built a new church at 360 Chestnut St.

1958 Annandale's Jehovah's Witnesses was formed, meeting in homes

1958 Kaz Hardware opened at NE corner of Oak and Chestnut in Dunton Hardware building


1960s      1960 Annandale population: 984

1962 Lion's Club formed 

1960-1980 Ferrell Funeral at 63 Oak Av S (law office since 1972), moved to 305 Park St E in 1970

1963 NFO dumped 40,000 pounds of skim milk to protest milk prices

1963 U.S. Post Office relocated from 40 S Oak to 83 N Oak

1964 Camp Friendship opened at 10509 80th St NW on Clearwater Lake

1967 Red Owl opened at NW corner of Chestnut and Cherry, reopened as Marketplace II at Elm and Excelsior (current McDonald's site) in 1995, moved to 660 Elm St E (Hwy 55) in 2003

1960s passenger train service ceased


1970s      1970 Annandale population: 1,234

1970 Swapper's Meet opened in a field on 100th St NW

1971 last of the rural school houses closed

1971 Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall built at 320 Pleasant Av N

1971-1995 Peery's Jack and Jill at SW corner of Excelsior and Elm (current McDonald's site)

1972 Pioneer Park opened

1972 Bendix Elementary School erected on Park St., razed in 2015

1973  M & L Bus Service purchased from Bahr Bus Service, renamed M & M Bus Service in 1984 

1973-2016  Arenson's Pharmacy at 43 Oak Ave N

1973  Malco Tools opened west of town at 14080 Hwy 55

1973 Ellis Steak House opened at 440 Elm St. E (Hwy 55)

1974 Oak Realty opened at 35 N Oak, moved to 720 Elm St E (Hwy 55) in 1996


1980s      1980 Annandale population: 1,568

1980s  40' clock tower with satellite dish erected by Lakedale Telephone on Main Street at the NW corner of Oak and Cedar, area converted to Clock Tower Park in 2012  

1980 Dingmann Funeral at 305 Park St E  

1980 MCP opened at 285 S Myrtle, moved to 980 Elm St. E (Hwy 55) in 1991

1980 Canopy System dedicated on Main Street

1980 Petty Brothers Meats opened at 131 Cedar St, moved to 320 Elm St E (Hwy 55) in 2016

1982 Annandale Care Center opened

1984  40' clock tower with satellite dish erected by Lakedale Telephone on Main Street at the corner of Oak and Cedar, area converted to Clock Tower Park in 2012  

1984 Boy Scout Troop 354 started in Annandale 

1986 Whispering Pines Golf Course opened west of town on 70th St NW

1988 Zahler Photography opened at 10 Oak Av S, moved to 25 Chestnut St W in 2018

1988 Soo Line train derailment causing evacuation of city


1990s      1990 Annandale population: 2,054

1990 Annandale Kiwanis began

1991 Albion Ridges Golf course opened southeast of town at 7771 20th St NW

1991 Annandale High School opened on Hemlock St.

1991 Halloween Blizzard

1995 215 acres annexed from Southside Twp for Southbrook Golf Course and housing

1995 Annandale area code changed to 320 from 612, many street numbers change

1995 Subway opened at 740 Elm St E

1995 Marketplace II (former Red Owl) moved to Elm and Excelsior (current McDonald's site), moved to 660 Elm St E (Hwy 55) in 2003

1996 Lakedale began offering internet service

1996 New water tower erected south of Hwy 55 replacing original one erected in 1922 between Oak and Cherry Streets

1999 Stoplight erected at corner of Elm and Excelsior


2000s      2000 Annandale population: 2,684

2000 Performing Arts Center addition on high school

2000 Grain elevator razed

2000  In Hot Water opened at 25 Cedar St E

2001 Anchor Dock and Lift opened at 960 Elm St E (Hwy 55)

2001 new city hall at 30 Cedar Ct

2002 ACT (Annandale Community Team) formed

2003  new library at 30 Cedar Ct

2003 Veterans Memorial Park on Hwy 55 completed 

2005  new water treatment plant

2005  new Fire Hall on Park St.


2010s      2010 Annandale population: 3,228

2011  19’ steel Breeze Gate sculpture installed in City Park

2013  new Annandale Elementary School opened

2015  1922 School Building razed

2019  Annandale Recreation Park opened on 80 acres southeast of high school


2020s      2020 Annandale population: 3,763

2020  Covid-19 pandemic closed schools and businesses

2020  Hwy 24 reconstruction on Park Ave and Oak (Main Street)

2023  Roundabout added at the corner of Hwy 24 and Hemlock